Feed mechanism for rolling machines



Ju'ne 25, 1935. DAVIS 2,005,853

FEED MECHANISM FOR ROLLI NG MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 2, 1950 s Sheets- Shet 1 A TTORNE Y.

June 25, 1935. H. J. DAVIS FEED MECHANISM FOR ROLLING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 2, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

h f/omer JflaV/ls A TTORNEY.

9 mm |l PM: 1 ll k m x i v I\\\ i m NM Q Q Q v o N 04 N MWNW June 25, 1935.

H. J. DAVIS 2,005,853

FEED MECHANISM FOR ROLLING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 2, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

June 25, 1935. H. J. DAVIS 2,005,853

FEED MECHANISM FOR ROLLING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 2, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I N VENTOR.

' A TT ORNE Y.

June 25, 1935.

r H. J. DAVIS FEED MECHANISM FOR ROLLING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 2, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR /70777er J Da /'5 B Y I A TTORNE Y.

June 25, 1935. Aws 2,005,853

FEED MECHANISM FOR ROLLING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 2, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 /70777ev" JDm/As A TTORNE Y.

IN VENTOR.

-Patented June 25, 1935 UNITED STATES FEED MECHANISM FOR- ROLLING MACHINES Homer J. Davis, Wilmington, Del.

Original application September 2, 1930, Serial No. 479,378. Divided and this application October 14, 1931, Serial No. 568,760

16 Claims.

This invention relates to rolling mechanism and more particularly to the feed mechanism therefor and has for its primary object the designing and corelation of parts or combination of parts,

whereby material may be fed to the rolls from opposite sides thereof and the position of the material shifted laterally in relation to the length of the rolls, accomplishing this desired, result automatically.

Another object of the invention resides in the locating of reciprocating devices oiiop'posite sides of the rolls for feeding material to the rolls from opposite sides and periodicallydisplacing the material laterally in relationto the surface of the rolls automatically during the operation of a novel form of feed mechanism.

Another object of the invention resides in a design of machine that will quickly and efliciently v direct tubes, rods, etc., back and forth between the rolls and at time intervals displace the position of the material with relation to the,operative surface of the rolls so as to enable different portions of the rolls to act upon the tubes or rods.

' Another object of the invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of the particular type of reversing mechanism and the material feeding devices whereby the direction of travel of the devices may be reversed at time in- 80 tervals for reciprocating material back and forth through the rolls.

A feature of my invention resides in the use of a single device capable of feeding the material to the rolls at right angles to the axes thereof and 86 further capable of shifting the material along axes of the rolls for c anging the surface contact between the rolls and the material.

Another feature of my invention resides in the novel manner of connecting the drive mechanism 4 with the feeding devices so that they may be periodically stopped and started whereby the movements of the devices may be periodically started and stopped in accordance with the feeding of the material through the rolls. i

Besides the abovemy invention is distinguished in the use of a pair of rolls, feeding devices on opposite sides of the rolls, mechanism for feeding the devices towards and away from the rolls 0 and drive mechanism for reversing the direction of travel of the feed devices in relation to the rolls. r

With these and other objects in view the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine with portions broken away. I

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine with portions broken away.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view at a point adjacent one of the feed devices.

Figure 4 is a. vertical sectional view adjacent the rolls.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of an end portion of the rack bar showing the associated parts in section.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the gear train for the rack bar.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the rack bar and associated parts.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view of parts of the reversing mechanism associated with the rack bar.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view of one of the feeding devices.

This invention relates to a division of my copending application filed September 2, 1930, Serial Number 479378.

Broadly stated this invention consists of a supporting frame upon which is mounted the rolling mechanism arranged in the required relation with the duplex feeding devices that are reciprocating towards and away from the rolls by the drive mechanism.

Supporting frame This supporting frame consists of a bed I, and legs 2, side bars 3, being associated with the bed I for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Rolling mechanism mechanism for action upon tubes or rods for reducing the diameter thereof but I wish it to be understood that the rolls may be designed for any particular requirement such as for-ornamenting tube, surfaces for producing various designs of beams, for rolling rails or for the production of any other types of products well known in the trade. The rolls are mounted on shafts 8 and 9. which maybe adjusted towards and away from each other by any suitable type of adjusting mechanism such as designated by the numeral 101). The shaft 8 has fixed thereto the main driven gear l0 meshing with a drive gear ll associated .with reversing mechaiiism hereinafter described. The shaft 9' carries an additional gear I! meshing with the gear l3 on the shaft 8 so as to drive the shaft 8 from the shaft 9.

Drive mechanism The drive mechanism consists broadly or a tween the gears l3 and the power shaft 20. This clutch device 2| is operated by a lever 22 which in turn is manipulated by the shifting mechanism 23.

This shifting mechanism consists of a shifting rod 24 connected by a bell crank lever 25 to a block 26 fixed to a clutch rod 21 that in turn is fixed to sliding brackets 28 that are slidably engagement between the end gear 34 of the train 33 and the rack bar I4.

mounted on a square tube 29 in which the rack bar I4 is mounted for sliding movements.

For accomplishing periodic connection between the brackets 28 and the rack bar M in the reciprocating movements of the'latter, I have'illustrated in detail in Figure 5 a weighted pawl 30 for each of the brackets 28 and pivotally connected thereto so as to gravitate into interlocking engagement with the walls of the recess 3| of the rack bar when therack bar has reached its limitof travel in either direction, that is to say, when the rack bar has moved its limit of travel to the left, the pawl of the right hand bracket 28 will be engaged by the rack bar for shifting the clutch mechanism for reversing the direction of travel of the rack bar and when the rack bar has reached its distance of travel to the right the pawl of the left bracket, it will be engaged by the recess of the left hand end of the rack bar for sliding the bracket and reversing the clutch mechanism for reversing the direction of travel of the rack bar. 5 As the drive mechanism is directly connected to the rolls thereby reversing the travel of the rolls in accordance with the travel of the drive mechanism, I have found it advantageous to establish'a direct drive connection between the rolls and the rack bar so that the rotating of the rolls will be in unison with the travel of the rack bar. .For this purpose, I have shown an auxiliary gear 32 fixed to the shaft 3 and operating the rack bar l4 through a gear train 33 clearly shown in Figures 2 and 6, the tube 29 being slotted to allow Duplex driving mechanism The duplex driving mechanism consists of a left feeding device 35 and a right? feeding device 36 and as these two devices are identical in construction and are periodically connected to the rack bar in like manners, I will limit the following description to the details of construction of the left" feeding device. Each feeding device consists of a head 33 mounted on and associated with the paralleling spaced rods 31 and 38 in a manner that the head may be slid along the rods 31 and 38 and laterally displaced periodically in relation to the rods. Referring to the details of construction of the feeding device; the head consists of companion arms 39 and 40, slidably mounted on the rods 31 and 38 and capable of swinging movements independently of the rods 31 and 33 as clearly shown in Figure 3. The arms 33 and '43 are pivotally connected together by the connector 4! that carries a roller 42 adapted toengage cam elements 43 and 44 arranged at opposite ends of the path of travel of the feed device so as to periodically cooperate to swing the arms 39 and for shifting the material supported by the head laterally in relation to the travel of the head. I have illustrated the cam elements as pivoted blocks 45 having cam extrem'ities 46 and pivotally connected to the frame as indicated at 41 and these cam elements are arranged in the path of travel of the roll 42 so that'in the sliding movement of the head to the left, the roller 42 will engage the extremity 46 of the cam element 43 for swinging the arms 33 and 40 and thereby shifting the head laterally.

- When the head reaches its limit of travel to the right'the roller 42 will engage the cam element 44 for swinging the arms 39 and 4D in the reverse direction and returning the head'to normal position. For the purpose of accomplishing flexible contact between the cam elements and the heads, I have illustrated the cam elements as pivotally mounted and yieldably controlled by the springs 49. The spring 49 of the device '44 performs an additional function in that the head cannot bereturned by the cam device 44 to its normal position as long as there is a connection between the ends of the tubes and the head and between the ends of the tubes and the'rolls but as soon as the rollshave fed the tubes away from the head, the spring 49 will act for returning the head to normal position so that when the tubes make a return movement through the rolls they will engage the head at different points thereby enabling the tubes or the material to be progressively fed through the rolls and progressively shifted laterally along the rolls for changing the surface contact between the rolls and the tubes. Arranged in proper relation with the rolls are the guide rollers 50 and 5| for facilitating the alignment of the material with the openings I of the rolls. Forthe purpose of enabling the heads to effectively engage the tubes or the rods and at the same time allow the proper horizontal alignment thereof, I have illustrated a gripping device 52 consisting of the lower ,jaw element 53 mounted ina secondary link 54 and a plurality of independent upper jaw elements 55 carried by a cross bar 56 that are yieldably forced towards the jaw elements 53 by means of springs 51 as illustrated in Figure 9. Companion auxiliary arms 58 have their intermediate portions pivoted to the upper ends of the arms as and 40, as illustrated in Figure 9, and the extremities 60 thereof are pivotally connected to the link 54 and the cross bar 56.

For the purpose of periodically starting and stopping the travel of the feed devices 35 and 36 in accordance with the travel of the material through the rolls, I\ have provided each feeding device with a catch 6| coacting with a notch 62 in the rack bar to establish a connection between the rack bar and the feed device. To accomplish this interconnection, I have illustrated an expansion spring 63 acting upon the bill 64- of the catch to urge the same into interlocking engagement with the notch 62 when the latter registers therewith. For the purpose of disconnecting the rack bar I4 from the catch when the head has reached its limit of travel, I have provided the side bar 3 of the frame with a recess 65 adapted to receive the stem 68 of the catch when registering therewith. For the purpose of forcing the stem into the recess 55. in oppomtion to the spring 53, Ihave provided the notch 52 abutting relation between the bill and side surface of the rack bar holds the catch disconnected thereby arresting movement of the feed device at predetermined intervals to allow proper feeding of the tubes or rods and from the feed devices by the action of the rolls.

Operation Tubes, rods or other materials to be operated upon are placed in engagement with the left feeding device in any suitable manner such as by the delivery mechanism illustrated in the above mentioned co-pending application. After the proper gripping of the material by the gripping device of the left feed device, the drive mechanism functions to slide the left feed device towards the rolls and this action continues until the ends of the tubes or material is gripped by the rolls, the rolls then feeding the tubes forward.

'When the left feed device has traveled the required distance towards the rolls the catch 6| will then register with recess 65 and will be forced thereinto as hereinbefore set forth which stops further movement of the left feed device but does not interfere with further travel of the rack bar l4. As soon as the tubes have been carried through the rolls 4 and the required distance, they will engage with the right feed device and be clamped thereto by the gripping device carried thereby. At the proper time interval the catch of the right feed device will register with the notch of the rack bar associated therewith so, that he right feed device will be connected to the rack bar for continuing the travel of the tubes to free the same from the rolls. As the fright head reaches its limit of travel the cam roller 42 thereof will engage the cam device 43 for shifting the feed device laterally and with it the tubes supported thereby so that in the return movement of the right feed device towards the rolls the points of engagement between the tubes and the rolls will be shifted one groove laterally. As the tubes pass through the rolls they will engage the left head that has been returned to its normal position by the cam 44 in relative positions corresponding to displacement of position of one tube so that when the left head returns to its end of travel and engages the cam 43 the tubes will be again shifted laterally and these shifting actions of the tubes continue until the tube that has first passed through the first groove of the series of grooves of the rolls will finally make its exit from the last groove of the rolls. In other words, the alternating laterally shifting of the heads progressively changes the position of the tubes in relation to the jaw elements of the two feeding devices and in relation to the grooves of the rolls.

As the rack bar l4 moves back and forth in the movement of the feed devices, the pawls 30 of the two brackets 28 will alternately interlock with the rack bar for periodically shifting the clutch mechanism for periodically changing the direction of travel of the drive mechanism and there-' by the direction .of travel of the rolls and the rack bar.

I am aware of the fact that tubes, rods and similar materials have been mechanically fed.

through rolls but I am of the opinion that I am the first to arrange feed devices on opposite sides of rolls for periodically gripping and periodically feeding material back and forth through the rolls. I amoalso of the opinion that I am the first to automatically shift the position of the material in relation to the rolls in the operation of the machine to progressively operate upon the tubes and progressively move the same to discharging I position in relation to the machine.

Of course, it is to be understood that the component mechanisms may be designed and arranged in other relation than illustrated and the various elements of the associated mechanisms may be constructed in other ways than illustrated and therefore I am not attempting toprotect in this application the mechanical details of the component parts but the basic features consisting of grouping together a plurality of novel mechanism in a new relation for the accomplishment of new results. Therefore, I do not desire to be limited in protection in any manner whatsoever except asset forth in the following claims:

What I claim is:

l. A feeding mechanism for a rolling machine comprising individually mounted duplex feeding devices for reciprocating material and automatic reversible drive mechanism periodically connecting with the said feeding devices.

2. A feeding mechanism for a rolling machine comprising individually mounted duplex feeding devices for reciprocating material; automatic reversible drive mechanism periodically connecting with the said feeding devices and automatic means for periodically reversing the direction of travel of said drive mechanism.

3. A feeding mechanism comprising duplex feeding devices including companion grippers for gripping material, means for changing the gripping relation between the grippers and thematerial and means for changing the direction of travel of the material.

4. In combination, a pair of companion feed mechanisms, drive mechanism periodically engaging with said feed mechanisms for sliding the same in a longitudinal direction, means associated with said feeding mechanisms forp'rogressively shifting the same in a lateral direction, and reversing mechanism for driving said drive mechanism.

5.A material feeding mechanism comprising a pair of slidably mounted heads for feeding the material, drive mechanism for reversibly and periodically sliding said heads; a control device set in operation according to the position of said heads for reversing the direction of travel of said drive mechanism and means for shifting said heads laterally of the longitudinal travel of said heads.

6. A tube feeding mechanism comprising a pair of cooperating heads slidably mounted and each including companion material gripping elements, reversible drive mechanism for periodically reciprocating said heads and spaced devices engaging periodically with said gripping elements for shifting the same laterally in the longitudinal sliding movements of the heads.

7. A tube feeding mechanism comprising a supporting frame including a pair of horizontally spaced rods, a pair of companion work supporting heads slidably mounted on said rods, cam

devices at the ends of travel of said heads for shifting the heads laterally of said rods, a rack bar, means for periodically connecting and disconnecting the heads from said rack bar and mechanism for operating said rack bar.

8. A tube feeding mechanism comprising a supporting frame including a pair of horizontally spaced rods, a pair of companion work supporting heads slidably mounted on said rods. cam devices at the ends of travel of said heads for shifting the heads laterally of said rods, a rack bar, means for periodically connecting and disconnecting the heads from said rack bar and mechanism for operating said rack bar, said mechanism including reversible gear drives and a control between said devices and said rack bar whereby said gear drives may be manipulated according to the traveling position of said rack bar.

9. In a tube feeding mechanism, a frame, a pair of heads slidably supported by the frame for independent movement; shitting devices supported by said frame at opposite ends of travel of each head for shifting the head laterally in either one of two extreme positions; a rack bar slidably supported by the frame, devices for periodically connecting the heads to the rack bar according to the position of the latter, reversible mechanism, a drive connection between the reversible mechanism and the rack bar, a clutch bar, devices for periodically connecting the clutch bar and the rack bar, a connection between the clutch bar and said reversing mechanism whereby said mechanism may be reversed according to the position of said rack bar.

10. In a fibre tube rolling machine, a group 0! tube carrying devices mounted for relative movements, reversible power mechanism, means for periodically connecting said devices to said power mechanism and means for reversing the direction of travel of said power mechanism according to the relative position of said devices.

11. In a tube rolling machine, a pair oi work engaging heads mounted-ior movement toward and away from each other, power mechanism and means for periodically and successively connecting the said heads to said power mechanism for the periodic operation thereof.

12. In a fibre tube-rolling machine, a pair at work heads mounted icr sliding movements toaoozgsss ward and away from each other, power mechanism including a reciprocating rack bar and means for periodically connecting said heads to said rack bar for periodic movements therewith.

13. In a. fibre tube rolling'machine, a pair of tube supporting heads mounted for relative movements, drive mechanism and means associated with each head for periodically connectmechanism according to the relative position oi said-devices.

15. In a tube rolling machine, work carrying heads mounted for sliding rectilinear movements toward and away from each other, power mechav.

nism, devices for periodically connecting said heads to said power mechanism for the operation thereof, and mechanism for periodically displacing the heads laterally for the purpose set forth.

16. In a fibre tube rolling machine, a pair of tube supporting heads mounted for longitudinal movements toward and-away from each other,

power mechanism, including a slidablyfmounted rack bar adapted forfoperative connection with said heads for imparting longitudinal movements thereto, means under control of said rack bar for laterally oil'setting said heads relative to each other, and means under control of said rack bar for reversing the direction of travel of said power mechanism.

HOMER J. DAVIS. 

